Tom Papakalodoukas, a 41-year-old Florida resident, was carrying
a water bottle while shopping at a Walmart in Port St. Lucie,
Fla., when he stepped on a Gatorade sign that had fallen off a
display. He took a violent spill, tearing a tendon in his right
bicep. Papakalodoukas underwent three surgeries and had to get an
Achilles tendon from cadaver tissue inserted in his arm.

He also developed a permanent condition called a “popeye
deformity” that causes abnormal bulges on his arm.

He sued the retail giant for negligence for not screwing the on
sign correctly.

But at trial, Papakalodoukas’ lawyer, Gloria Seidule, had
Gatorade testify that if Walmart employees had put together the
sign properly, it wouldn’t have fallen. Gatorade also said that
if the screws came loose or broke, it was Walmart’s
responsibility to take care of it.

According to Seidule, her client has not been able to go back to
work as a manager at a beverage distribution company and suffers
from depression and anxiety over his health and his future. His
surgeries have cost over $200,000.

The all-female jury may have helped ease his anxiety with a $1.3
million verdict. The jury laid 90 percent of the blame on
Walmart.

“The jury assessed the existing and future medical expenses and
lost wages when determining the monetary value of the case,”
Seidule said.